And The Story Continues
by HarryLuvsGinny
Summary: A continuation from where the anime series left off
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – The Past

Tohru was still reliving her visit to the main house on the Sohma estate, and also the fact that Akito had looked like he was deranged when he had ordered that her memory be modified.

But, his order had not been fulfilled. His order had remained in the air after he had said it, and also after the fact that he had tried to wipe her memory himself. Luckily for Tohru, and the rest of the Sohma clan, Shigure, and Yuki had been there to stop him from wiping her memory, and stopped her from forgetting about the Sohma family.

Yes, her memory had been ordered wiped, as had so many others, however it hadn't happened. The first time in memory that the order had been disregarded.

Now, as she walked with Kuyo, Yuki, and Shigure, she realized how close she had come to losing every single thing she had shared with the Sohma family.

She would have lost her first memories of being invited into Shigure's house, and also of learning their very special circumstances.

The Sohma family was a cursed family. For as long as they could remember, they had been cursed to become a member of the Chinese zodiac whenever they were stressed, or hugged by a member of the opposite sex. Unfortunately for them, the Sohma family curse couple would it being the Chinese zodiac meant they transformed into animals, and when they transformed back into a human form, they were naked.

This had indeed caused some problems for everyone involved, but no one more than Kuyo, who was the cat from the ancient Chinese zodiac, and also had a second animal form, a beast form, which was part of his own curse.

He was the cat, which was shunned by the zodiac members, and he was also the beast. This was part of his curse, and the part in which Tohru was unwittingly shown as Kuyo's master had came back, in order to test both Kuyo, and to see whether Tohru might be the one to break the family curse.

Tohru had managed to accept the second form of Kuyo, which was what was the important part, and was what Kuyo needed, since we wasn't really accepted by the rest of the family.

Kuyo needed acceptance from someone who was not a Sohma, or a Zodiac member, and Tohru, with her unending love for everyone gave it to him.

She would lose her memories of Yuki, whom all the girls at school seemed to adore. The Prince Yuki fan club had tried to hurt Tohru, by trying to get her away from Yuki, by going through her friend, as they called her electric wave girl, however it didn't work.

Also, Kisa would be removed from her memory, as well as Momiji, Horu, and the rest of the Sohma clan, which she didn't want to lose her memories of. She wasn't willing to lose her memories of Momiji, and Kisa, both of whom were amongst the youngest members of the family.

Kisa had lost all her words. She had closed herself off from everyone, since she was teased in school. So, she had basically shut off all emotion, and eventually ended up running away from home, and eventually ended up landing near Tohru, and Shigure's house, and there the connection was made.

Tohru had made Kisa realize that people actually cared about her, and that was why Kisa opened up finally, and eventually ended up going back to school.

Momiji was younger than Tohru, but he wasn't very forgetful, as he had helped Tohru when she had become sick, and also he had shared a special night with her at the Sohma family hot springs, and got her to sing his song with him.

To watch him act so happily even when his mother had come to meet his father at the office was more than Tohru could bear. She had chosen to forget her son, which was hard for Tohru to accept, but as Momiji had explained, parents of members of the Zodiac either ended up being over-protective, or abandoned their children, which was what had happened to him.

Tohru could remember everything that had happened since she had first joined Shigure's household. That was only because her tent had been squashed in an avalanche, and Shigure had invited her to join them.

She was happy. She was always happy. She knew that being sad wouldn't help anything, or anyone.

She was always happy. That was her curse. It may not seem like a curse to many people, but it is a curse nonetheless.

She had to appear happy on the outside in order to try and help her friends, and she did consider Shigure, Yuki, and Kuyo, who was grouchy most of the time as her friends.

Her mother had told her before she died to keep a smile on her face, and that was why she did.

Tohru glanced at Yuki, and Kuyo fighting once again, as it seemed to be an almost daily ritual, and she smiled. It was good to see that some things would never change.

"Damn rat," Kuyo said, springing, as if ready to attack Yuki.

"Stupid cat," Yuki replied, and stood ready, awaiting the attack that everyone expected any time those two started arguing. For some reason, their arguing always became physical.

Shigure tried holding Tohru back, as he knew that she might be the one Kuyo hit in his fit of rage. 


	2. Disturbing Revelations

Chapter 2 – A Disturbing Revelation

Tohru began walking behind Kyo and Yuki, listening to them bicker, as was their custom. She had just faced Akito, along with Hatari, Shigure, and Yuki being behind her. That had been a little unnerving in itself, since she had had almost had her memory erased, however Hatari had not complied with Akito's order.

After she left, she felt a weight being pulled off of her shoulders, so that she was able to move around again. It almost seemed as if she had had the whole weight of the world on her shoulders. Well, she had the weight of the Sohma family problems on her shoulders.

As they all walked up the walk towards Shigure's house, they all noticed a tiger on the front porch. Tohru began running twards the tiger, knowing it wouldn't hurt her. Kisa was at Shigure's house, and when she had transformed back into her human form, she was crying, and held a note in her hand.

"Sissy, mom left this note for me," Kisa said sadly, handing Tohru the note her mother had left for her.

_Kisa,_

_By the time you read this, I'll already be gone. I'm sorry, but I just can't handle this anymore. Why do you continue trying to hurt me like you do? It's not all about sissy anymore._

_I don't know what to do with you anymore. I just give up._

Tohru hugged Kisa, and also started crying. Momiji's words came up to haunt her again. "_A parent will either be overly protective, or reject their child completely._" That was what had happened to Momiji, and now, it was happening to Kisa.

"I came here because I couldn't think of another place to go," Kisa said quietly as Shigure read the note. His eyes never left the paper, but inside he was crying as well. His heart was breaking for Kisa, since he knew what it was like for her. After all, he himself had been abandoned by his mother when she found out he was a member of the Zodiac.

"Come inside, Kisa," he said quietly to her, and then motioned Hatari aside for a moment.

"Hari, would you think that her mother may want to forget she ever had her from this note?" he asked.

"I can't be sure," Hatari answered truthfully. "It's not the same as when I had to do the memory wipe on Momiji's mother, and also not the same as when I had to do it on Kari. I wish I could tell you what she means by she's giving up, but it can mean so many things to so many people.

"Can you try and persuade her mother to take care of her?"

"I can try, but if she really want's this Shigure, she won't be persuaded by anything I say. It may even make the whole situation worse. Would you really want that on your conscience?

"No, I suppose not. But, please do try.

"I must get back to Akito.

Hatari left the house, and walked back towards the main Sohma estate, but was stopped as Momiji pulled him towards Shigure again.

"Akito's dead," Momiji said.


	3. Grief

Chapter 3 √ Grief

Tohru looked on in horror as Momiji gave the grim news to the rest of the Sohma clan. She just could not believe that the core of the Zodiac curse, Akito had succumbed to something like an illness. It seemed like he was a very strong person, however to be felled by an illness was something that happened to many people many times over.

Momiji had timed his announcement so poorly, coming on the heels of Kisa's mother just giving up, that a furor ensued at Shigure's house. The only ones not affected by the news of the day were, well all of them were affected, in one way or another, even if they thought they wouldn't be.

Tohru wasn't really sure how she would react when she heard of Akito's passing, but her tears started flowing, and pretty soon, everyone was crying silently, except for Kyo, who under his tough exterior knew that he had never cared for Akito.

It all seemed so surreal to Yuki. The man who had put him through so much abuse had finally passed. He was not sure whether he would cry over Akito, the man who had been his personal tyrant for most of his life, but if Tohru could cry over someone she barely had any contact with, then Yuki was sure he could find a little sympathy in his heart.

After all, Yuki thought, Akito must have had problems of his own, bearing the brunt of the family curse. Problems that he alone could only realize. Problems that were his alone, because no-one else in the family could bear the load.

For his part, Shigure seemed the most distraught of the family. He was one who would let emotion rule him, and he did not see the shame of crying, so the tears came slowly, almost as if they weren't really there. 


End file.
